Flushometer valves, as the term is generally used in the plumbing industry are valves which, upon actuation such as the press of a button or pedal, open to deliver a quantity of water suitable for an intended flush. Generally they utilize some kind of delay mechanism which keeps the valve open for a suitable length of time, taking into account the system pressure and other flow parameters.
Conventional flush valves are usually complete in and of themselves, are mounted externally of the commode or urinal, and are made of metals which are expensive to purchase and process. In addition to this inherent costliness, these valves are exposed to view and to access by vandals. They are frequently damaged by these persons, and their repair or replacement is another unfortunate element of ultimate cost.
Many of the limitations which lead to these costly expedients, and to exposing the valve to mistreatment are the consequence of the next assembly to which they apply - the ceramic commode or urinal. For convenience, only commodes will be specifically discussed hereafter, but the term is intended to encompass all user devices, including urinals, tanks, and the like. Also, while the invention is primarily directed at solving problems inherent in ceramic structures, it is equally useful in structures made of wood, organic plastic, or metal, and therefore no limitation to use only with ceramic structures is intended or implied.
The principal problem in integrating a valve into a ceramic structure is the loose dimensional tolerances of the structure. These devices are made in potteries. The clay is formed in molds, and transferred to kilns where they are fired to harden and glaze them. While the processes for making these devices are very sophisticated and the envelope shapes are visually and dimensionally quite repeatable, still, especially on the inside, there is enough variation that efforts to integrate flush valves into the ceramic structure have not heretofore been successful, especially with a valve which can be made inexpensively. This is also true of structures made of other common materials such as organic plastics and wood. By the term "integrate" is meant the capacity to mount various parts of the valving system inside the commode such that parts of the commode perform some of the functions of the valve itself.
It is an object of this invention to provide a flush valve that can be integrated into a supporting using structure, which can be made of relatively inexpensive materials which are adaptable to operate when integrated in structures with dimensional variations, which will deliver a desired volume upon actuation, which can not be held open to continuous flow, and which generally provides all of the other features desirable in a first class flush valve.